There are as many ways to solve problems as there are problems and people to solve them! If you’re looking for how to problem-solve effectively and you just haven’t hit on the solution that is a great fit for you and your personality, here are ten steps I have found to be effective.

I urge you to check them out, try them on for size and see how they work, or don’t, for you. I’d also love to hear how you problem solve, what works and what hasn’t. Let’s share our secrets for success!

How To Problem-Solve Effectively

Every day we are faced with problems. We have to walk our way through challenges and find the light of a solution. You don’t have to struggle alone — and you shouldn’t. Find an accountability partner, a friend or colleague with whom you can connect and move from problem to solution.

Here are ten steps I have found to be effective for me.

Look at the problem from various angles. Walk around it. Think about it. Write down what you believe the problem is then expand your definition of the problem. Expand your view and ask yourself, “is there something more to this problem?” Oftentimes there is.

Put a precise definition to the problem. Do not be vague or your solution will likely be vague and not fully address the issue.

What is causing the problem? When did it start? Did something lead to its raising its head?

Write down every solution you can think of that may solve the problem. Don’t discard any potential solution even if you think it is not going to work.

Now that you have pinpointed the problem, you can get to work on its solution.

Assemble a team to help address the issue

Come up with tactics and strategic approaches to solve it

Give the solution a deadline

Implement the potential solutions you’ve come up with. Have a back up plan in case the original plan doesn’t fully solve the issue.

Circle back to the original problem. Write down the tactics you used to address it. Keep these notes in case the problem comes up again.

Always have a plan B

Don’t let problems linger. They will sap your mental and physical energy. An unsolved or unresolved problem will lead to stress, unhappiness and general dissatisfaction. Achieving inner peace will lead to serenity; this will help you face challenges head on and your experiences at having solved problems before will help you address the new ones head on.

Are you happy? Did you know that optimists tend to live longer than pessimists? Have you ever wondered how to be happier in life & in business? It isn’t hard, but it does take focus and it does take knowing yourself well enough to know whether you’re well and truly happy.

Happier people draw other happy people to them like flies to honey. Did you know that close to 50% of the happiness in your life is within your control? Think about that: 50%! If you take control of even only half of your waking hours, you can be happier!

Be Happier In Life & In Business

If you want to be happier… and truly is there any reason you wouldn’t want to be happy? Here are my favorite tips to make your life and your business happier.

Be thankful. It’s not enough to just be thankful. You want to express thanks. If someone has done you a favor express your appreciation. Say “thank you.”

Find and keep good friends. It’s great to have acquaintances, but good friends will make your life happier and that will translate to happiness in your business as well.

Pursue your goals. What do you want to complete in life? Do you truly know? Are you actively pursuing it? If not, why not? Get out and be active in the pursuit of your goals — that will make you happy!

Be happy with where you are and what you have. If you’re always wondering, “what’s next” or thinking, “Now that I have X I really want Z” you won’t ever be truly happy.

Know where your skills lie and do those things at which you excel. Yes, you do want to challenge yourself and push yourself, but why not enjoy where you are and what you’re great at?

Give back/volunteer. If you have gifts to give, volunteer them. If you have an abundance of money or other assets, donate to those in need. You will feel better and others will benefit from your largesse.

Know what the life you want to live looks like and take steps to make it happen and to live a happier life.

Being authentic. It’s become a buzzword in business circles. I have always been who I am. What you see is what you get. Being authentic is nothing new to me, nor in my business. You can grow your business by being authentic, but it needs to be honest as well as authentic. If you’re sharing a story, just to share a story or you’re trying to fit in because you’re now sharing a story — you’re not being authentic.

Why do people try to fit in rather than be themselves and be authentic, even if it means standing out?

We want to be accepted. We don’t want to be shunned for being “different.” Society pressures people to believe that conforming is the way to go.

If everyone thought the same way would we have seen the advances in technology and science that we have? Probably not. There might not be any significant differences or any people who stand out because they were afraid of being called “different.” It is those people who stand alone and stand up for their ideas and ideals that open our minds to possibilities!

Being authentic and unique is a personal goal of mine. Am I an introvert? Yes. Do I suffer from ADD — yes. I thrive on research and devour data. I spend a lot of time in introspection and it is then that I come up with my best ideas. I am empathetic to the emotions of others and that makes it uncomfortable for me to be in large group settings.

Grow Your Business By Being Authentic

I know myself well enough to be authentic while still being able to function and grow many thriving businesses. I speak at conferences many times a year and am out of my element, but I have enough information and knowledge to share and am my authentic self while doing so that my stage fright is negligible.

After I’ve been on stage or surrounded by people, I get away and hike through the mountains, I go sailing, I walk in the desert.

Being an entrepreneur and being continually stressed out go hand-in-hand, right? Not necessarily, even though it does seem to be the norm. We have come up with how entrepreneurs can deal with stress because if you’re always stressed out, you aren’t likely enjoying the process nor are you going to be able to keep up the pace.

Stress kills. Not to be overly dramatic, but it does. It’s important that entrepreneurs — and anyone, in fact — keep stress in check. We know it’s not as easy as just saying, “I want to have less stress in my life.” You do have to take stock and take steps.

How Entrepreneurs Can Deal With Stress

Here are some tips that may help you realize you don’t need to be as stressed out as you are and steps to help alleviate stress:

Take stock of what’s going right. It’s easy to make note of what’s going wrong. After all, it’s the disasters that keep you awake at night, not the wins, right? Write down all of your wins, look at it regularly. this may alleviate the stress and the feeling that the sky is falling.

Operate from an organized place. Write down the tasks you need to accomplish. You may want to do a brain dump of everything you need to get done. Put a timeline to it then break those tasks down. Also, once you get the to-dos out of your head they may seem more manageable. Listing tasks and to-dos also helps assure nothing falls through the cracks.

Get away from it all. You need to take a break. sometimes just getting some breathing room for a few minutes, an hour or even a day will help you return to the business refreshed and renewed. Taking a break is beneficial especially if you feel you’re spinning your wheels and if you are overwhelmed.

Breathe. It may sound simplistic, but pay attention to your body. Are you taking full, deep breaths or are you taking quick, shallow breaths? You need to breathe deeply to help alleviate stress. Notice, too where are your shoulders? Are they up around your ears? Focus on dropping your shoulders and relaxing your body as you breathe.

Take care of you. If you get ill, and if you’re a solopreneur, your business may not survive. If you aren’t healthy your business will suffer because your energy is flagging. Do what you need to do to be a healthy entrepreneur.

We are not saying that running a business isn’t a stressful endeavor; we know it is. What we are saying, though is that you need to realize you have stress and take steps to address it.

If you’re like most of us, you grabbed your online name for social media sites, added a bio, set it then forgot it, right? When did you set up your bios? Has it been more than a few years? Have you changed since then? Have the goods and services you offer changed? Have you earned new certifications? Are your online bios current? If you’re not sure, check them out today.

Add to that, when did you last update your professional photograph? Did you set up your accounts with a selfie you’d taken? If that’s still the case or if you still have the “egg” for your profile pic, now is the time to get some professional headshots taken. This is an investment in yourself that just might pay off.

Are Your Online Bios Current?

Add to your to-do list this week: check and update online professional bios. Check all of the sites in which you have a presence. Make certain that all of the bios have the same information. You don’t necessarily need to have them all be the same word-for-word, but you don’t want to leave off a vital piece of information.

Here are the reasons to update your bios today!

Readers want the most important information and they want it quickly. Put, what you believe is the most important information, at the beginning of your bios. Use keywords and short, punchy text.

Look at your bios with a critical eye. If a potential client saw that, what would his or her first impression be? Remember, this could be the first impression someone has of you — make it stellar.

Don’t be coy or use clever titles on your profiles. You want to let a potential client know exactly what you do, you don’t want them to guess whether you’re a fit for a project they have.

Once you’ve updated your online profiles. Ask a trusted client or two to give it a look over and see if they feel it accurately represents you and the services and goods you provide.